Tampa Bay Rays sending aid to Puerto Rico

In Florida, many groups, along with local and state leaders are working together to help the island. The Tampa Bay Rays and Moffitt Cancer are also providing aid to those in Puerto Rico impacted by the hurricane.

Last Updated: Thursday, October 12, 2017

TAMPA --

Relief efforts are still underway in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

In Florida, many groups, along with local and state leaders are working together to help the island. The Tampa Bay Rays and Moffitt Cancer are also providing aid to those in Puerto Rico impacted by the hurricane.

State Representative Janet Cruz said when she reached out to the Tampa Bay Rays for help getting supplies to the island, they responded saying they wanted to do even more. So they chartered a plane and packed it with supplies and Rays volunteers.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher and Puerto Rico native, Xavier Cedeno, and his family are part of the volunteer effort and plan to stay there for a while.

Moffitt Cancer Center, along with Ponce Health Sciences University and the University of South Florida, all say they too had to step in to help, by preserving cancer tissues samples.

Representative Cruz said the devastation on the island is worse than most people realize.

"So if you're hearing that supplies are getting there, I can tell you that in Ponce they are allowed or rationed a half a cup of water per day," Cruz said.

Cruz said she even gave a woman the shoes off her feet who was staying at a shelter.

Medical officials on the trip said it is vital for them to preserve important cancer research. They also brought back some cancer patients so they can receive the proper treatment.

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In Focus with Allison Walker Torres is a 30-minute public affairs program, featuring a roundtable of newsmakers representing a range of perspectives, including local officials and expert analysts as they tackle topical issues of importance to Floridians.

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